Someone can start an offensive prospects one as well if they want but I wanted to start getting this going. These are some guys I really like in the draft and where I think they fit. Not a comprehensive list just some guys that I've take a liking too

Ryan Shazier [Ohio State] plays with an attitude
Kyle Van Noy [BYU] I really think he could be like a Carnell Lake/Steve Atwater type. He is always around the ball. 6'3" 230 runs a 4.6
Christian Jones [Florida State] been playing everywhere on FSU defense. He's a LB that's all I know. Probably like a Timmons

ILB

Andrew Jackson [Western Kentucky] beast. One of my favorite guys this draft
AJ Johnson [Tennessee] known as beast. Not as beastly but fast and instinctive

HaSean Clinton-Dix [Alabama] best safety this class and closest to the mold of playmakers you see today at the safety position
Kurtis Drummond [Michigan State]
Lamarcus Joyner [Florida State] former CB, ballhawk. Watch the game vs The U this weekend. You'll hear his name a bunch
Hakeem Smith [Louisville] Hakeem the dream is Like a mid-round guy
Craig Loston [LSU]

Someone can start an offensive prospects one as well if they want but I wanted to start getting this going. These are some guys I really like in the draft and where I think they fit. Not a comprehensive list just some guys that I've take a liking too

OLB

JD Clowney [South Carolina]
Vic Beasley [Clemson] -- I actually don't think he's going to be a great player at the NFL level
Khalil Mack [Buffalo] - I think he could be an exceptional Pass Rusher, an "Aldon Smith" type.
Anthony Barr [UCLA] I think he struggles getting off OT and setting the edge on run plays. Very athletic, versatile pass rusher. I would probably pass on him. -- Pretty sure you meant to put this next to Beasley because this is what I expect of Beasley. Barr is going to be monsterous at the NFL level imo.__________________________________

Of the guys you listed the only two I like is Martin and Chrichton and Martin will play OLB in the a 3-4 most likely.

I do not like Trent Murphy at all. -- I think you're crazy.

4-3 OLB (generally translate to 3-4 ILB w/Steelers)

Ryan Shazier [Ohio State] plays with an attitude -- Going to be a great LB imo
Kyle Van Noy [BYU] I really think he could be like a Carnell Lake/Steve Atwater type. He is always around the ball. 6'3" 230 runs a 4.6
Christian Jones [Florida State] been playing everywhere on FSU defense. He's a LB that's all I know. Probably like a Timmons

I think all of these guys could be great. But if you're comparing Jones to Timmons, he has no place in our defense, we need a compliment to Timmons not a clone of him.

ILB

Andrew Jackson [Western Kentucky] beast. One of my favorite guys this draft
AJ Johnson [Tennessee] known as beast. Not as beastly but fast and instinctive

Personally I like Jackson the most. I actually think he is going to be the best ILB in this draft.

CB

Bradley Roby [Ohio State] 4.3 speed is tough to teach -- If we draft Roby, Colbert needs to be fired on the spot. He is easily the most overrated College Football player entering this draft. It's easy to look great when you play crap teams. The worst thing that could happen for Roby is to have to play Bama or Oregon in the National Championship, dude would look like a fool.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu [Oregon] this is maybe my top guy -- Easily my top guy
Darqueze Dennard [Michigan State] used to be under the radar but picking up steam. A Steeler type CB -- That's exactly why I don't like him. "Steeler type CB" have you noticed lately that most of the CBs we draft end up sucking? We need to get away from whatever mentality it is we use when we draft hard hitting CBs, which is what Dennard is. He's not special, he's talented, but he's not going to be an elite Shutdown Corner in the NFL, ever.
Loucheiz Purifoy [Florida] fast but needs some work -- Athleticism is what will get him drafted early. If that atheticism translates to NFL talent, he could be special.
Jason Verrett [TCU] -- Personally I think he's one of the 3 best CBs in this draft.
Kyle Fuller [Va Tech] -- See Verrett
Marcus Roberson [Florida] -- He could be a great pick for us, he's an excellent return guy, Nickel CB type. Would get AB off of return duties an give us a guy that can stand toe to toe with the best Slot receivers in the NFL.
Aaron Colvin [Oklahoma] -- I think he's got Aquib Talib written all over him. A very capable CB, not elite, not mediocre, a nice balanced and capable guy who can be a #1 but will never be compared to Darrelle Revis.

You forgot two CBs that I think need to be mentioned. CB Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State, who I think could be had in the 3rd round and CB Damian Swann, Geogia.

Both of these guys have been battle tested in athletic, pass happy conferences. They are exceptionally talented and athletic. They could turn out to be steals.

NT

Louis Nix [Notre Dame] -- Top NT in the draft, undoubtedly.
Daniel McCullers [Tennessee] -- I have to question the guys work ethic, he is WAY overweight for the NFL level. If he can shed weight he could be an elite NT.

DE

Ra'shede Hageman [Minnesota] a better Cam Heyward and I love Cam
Stephon Tuitt [Notre Dame] -- Really, this is the only DE you have listed?

Hagerman is great, but Tuitt could be another option, I could also see us Drafting Daquan Jones to play DE, he's got the size and he is very talented.

DT

Anthony Johnson [LSU]
Timmy Jernigan [Florida State]
Daquan Jones [Penn State] - See above as well. Very talented but after the OSU game, I think he's in for a hard fall.
Will Sutton [Arizona State]

The other 3 on this list I think have a real shot at going in the 1st round.

Probably not fits in our defense. Remains to be seen tho

Safety

HaSean Clinton-Dix [Alabama] best safety this class and closest to the mold of playmakers you see today at the safety position
Kurtis Drummond [Michigan State]
Lamarcus Joyner [Florida State] former CB, ballhawk. Watch the game vs The U this weekend. You'll hear his name a bunch
Hakeem Smith [Louisville] Hakeem the dream is Like a mid-round guy
Craig Loston [LSU]

The ONLY safety I'd even want us to touch on that list is HaSean Clinton-Dix and I'll be honest if that's who we get in the first round I'd be ecstatic. That dude does nothing but create turnovers and make plays. He also is great in run support. He definitely fits the type of Safety that the Steelers need._________________

I'm a fan of Kony Ealy. I think he would be a very good 3-4 DE_________________
"You build with draft choices. You find people with talents adaptable to your plans and then you teach them to do things the way we do them." - Chuck Noll

If we draft Roby, Colbert needs to be fired on the spot. He is easily the most overrated College Football player entering this draft. It's easy to look great when you play crap teams. The worst thing that could happen for Roby is to have to play Bama or Oregon in the National Championship, dude would look like a fool.

There are some funny contradictions in your evaluations of CB's:

Quote:

Loucheiz Purifoy [Florida] fast but needs some work -- Athleticism is what will get him drafted early. If that atheticism translates to NFL talent, he could be special.

For one, you talk about getting away from the mentality the team has. I can point out one way Purifoy lives up to the Steelers recent CB transition - inability to create turnovers. He has one INT going on his third college season now. And it's not because teams are just that scared of him.

Your argument here is if his athleticism translates. But you know something? I can't comprehend how anyone could watch Purifoy with his wasted movements and think he's a better football player right now than Roby. More than that, Roby is more athletic. By a wide margin. That's not to say Purifoy isn't a good athlete, because he's decent. That's how athletic Roby is.

The only tangible critique I've heard is one guy plays in the Big 10 and the other comes fro the SEC. Well, there are some pretty good CB's who came out of that conference. Tell me all of these world beaters Revis faced at Pit. How about Leon Hall?

Roby is a good football player who also happens to have elite physical tools. I rate him as highly as I did Gilcrhist, and the only recent CB off the top of my head superior athletically is probably Patrick Peterson. I'll stop my rant here.

If he is available and Colbert doesn't draft him, I won't go as far as saying he should be fired. But certainly slapped or something. Maybe a light one from Dan or something. He's exactly the sort of player this team needs on defense.

That being said, I don't think it matters. I don't see the team taking an LB in round 1. So while is fun to still evaluate them, it won't matter because they aren't going to be steelers.

The team is going to take a LT, DB, NT or WR in round 1.

I think they take 1 or 2 ILB in rounds 3-7 to develop behind Vince Williams and Timmons.

I think they re-sign Worilds and so they won't need to draft an OLB

You're right they don't struggle now bc 95% of the guys they play against will be getting a real job. Barr is not an OLB in a 3-4, sorry. He was a RB two years ago. RBs don't look like Aldon Smith, they get tackled by him

I'm not even going to touch Mosley as we have all seen how good Dont'a has been. I liked Dont'a a lot more than Mosley

Depending how poorly the team does I don't rule out LB at all this draft. As in, Woodblock could be on the chopping block

If we draft Roby, Colbert needs to be fired on the spot. He is easily the most overrated College Football player entering this draft. It's easy to look great when you play crap teams. The worst thing that could happen for Roby is to have to play Bama or Oregon in the National Championship, dude would look like a fool.

There are some funny contradictions in your evaluations of CB's:

Quote:

Loucheiz Purifoy [Florida] fast but needs some work -- Athleticism is what will get him drafted early. If that atheticism translates to NFL talent, he could be special.

For one, you talk about getting away from the mentality the team has. I can point out one way Purifoy lives up to the Steelers recent CB transition - inability to create turnovers. He has one INT going on his third college season now. And it's not because teams are just that scared of him.

Your argument here is if his athleticism translates. But you know something? I can't comprehend how anyone could watch Purifoy with his wasted movements and think he's a better football player right now than Roby. More than that, Roby is more athletic. By a wide margin. That's not to say Purifoy isn't a good athlete, because he's decent. That's how athletic Roby is.

The only tangible critique I've heard is one guy plays in the Big 10 and the other comes fro the SEC. Well, there are some pretty good CB's who came out of that conference. Tell me all of these world beaters Revis faced at Pit. How about Leon Hall?

Roby is a good football player who also happens to have elite physical tools. I rate him as highly as I did Gilcrhist, and the only recent CB off the top of my head superior athletically is probably Patrick Peterson. I'll stop my rant here.

If he is available and Colbert doesn't draft him, I won't go as far as saying he should be fired. But certainly slapped or something. Maybe a light one from Dan or something. He's exactly the sort of player this team needs on defense.

He was a RB two years ago. RBs don't look like Aldon Smith, they get tackled by him

that makes no sense. Barr was a RB 2 years ago and stopped being a RB because he's almost 6'5.

chrisororke wrote:

I'm not even going to touch Mosley as we have all seen how good Dont'a has been. I liked Dont'a a lot more than Mosley

well, Hightower is 6'3, 265 lbs, Moseley is nowhere near that size. Hightower played as a buck and a pass rushing DE. Mosley plays more like a WLB. Not sure why you would bring Hightower up since they are copmletely different types of players.

Is it me or no one really stands out on defensive prospects this year?
Or am I getting smart and not buying into the hype? I havnt been able to catch a college game all year. But I'm not hearing about standout player on espn, beside that QB from Lou.